Happily, in spite of Bell's palsy, spring goes rolling along and so do I.
Woke up Monday morning drooling on my pillow.
Never a good start to a day.
Brushed my teeth and drooled some more.
Something is definitely wrong.
Looked in the mirror.
My face was, for lack of a better word, crooked.
Unsymmetrical, puffy and misshapen
Eyes twitching, mouth carved into a sneer.
What in the heck is going on?
Twenty-four hours later, I had some answers.
Bell's palsy
Temporary paralysis on one side of my face.
Facial nerves from chin to forehead are inflamed and irritated, and completely shut down.
Caused by close association with invasive viruses, such as chicken pox, shingles or herpes.
But I have had none of that.
A disease that is not common but not terribly rare.
Taking steroids to heal the nerves and wipe out any intrusive virus.
Biggest risk is to my eye that cannot close - call in the artificial tears and eye patches
This should all be over in a week to ten days.
Bell's palsy.
Well. Isn't life full of interesting little surprises.
* * * * *
Here are all the stories about my Bell's Palsy, in order from start to, hopefully, finish:
Bell's Palsy
Self-Care
Six Weeks In
Done With Bell's Palsy
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